Bacitracin metal complexes used as bleach catalysts

Abstract

Bacitracin, bacitracin derivatives and other oligopeptides, alone or in the form of oligopeptide-metal ion complexes, are shown to be useful as bleach catalysts incorporated in washing and cleaning agents for the cleaning of soiled hard surfaces and textile fabrics. These catalysts may be used in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide or any alternate bleaching agent, or used simply in the presence of atmospheric oxygen to bleach stains. New and novel oligopeptides and their metal ion complexes are disclosed herein, along with methods for the cleaning of hard surfaces and textile fabrics with washing and cleaning agents incorporating these bleach catalysts.

1 . A washing or cleaning agent comprising an oligopeptide, said oligopeptide further comprising (a) at least one thiazole residue, said thiazole residue optionally partially or completely hydrogenated; and (b) at least one imidazole residue, said imidazole residue optionally partially or completely hydrogenated. 
     
     
         2 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide comprises 5 to 30 amino acids. 
     
     
         3 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide comprises at least one intrachain covalent linkage. 
     
     
         4 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 3  wherein the oligopeptide comprises a cyclic hexa-, hepta- or octapeptide. 
     
     
         5 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide comprises at least one amino acid comprising a carboxyl group and/or carboxamide group in its side chain. 
     
     
         6 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide comprises 10 to 20 amino acids that include at least one lysine residue, and wherein (a) the seven C-terminal amino acids of said oligopeptide form a cyclic heptapeptide by means of an epsilon-peptide bond between the C-terminal amino acid and the side chain of a lysine residue; and (b) wherein two successive amino acids in the N-terminal region of said oligopeptide form a thiazoline residue outside of said cyclic heptapeptide. 
     
     
         7 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide is synthesized naturally by nonribosomal peptide synthetases. 
     
     
         8 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein the oligopeptide is bacitracin or a derivative of bacitracin, said derivative obtainable from bacitracin by substitution of up to five amino acids, or by addition of up to five amino acids in the N-terminal region of bacitracin. 
     
     
         9 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  further comprising a metal ion that forms a metal complex with said oligopeptide. 
     
     
         10 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 9  wherein said metal ion is any oxidation state of a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Au, B, Bi, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Eu, Fe, Ga, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pt, Ru, Ti, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 9  wherein the metal ion of the metal complexes of the oligopeptide is a transition metal ion. 
     
     
         12 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 11  wherein the transition metal ion is selected from the group consisting of Fe(III), Co(II), Co(III), Mn(II), Mn(III), Mn(IV), Ce(III), Ce(IV), Zn(II), and Bi(III), and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  further comprising at least one surfactant. 
     
     
         14 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  further comprising at least one bleaching agent. 
     
     
         15 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein said agent is entirely devoid of a bleaching agent. 
     
     
         16 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  further comprising at least one hydrogen peroxide-producing oxidoreductase. 
     
     
         17 . The washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  wherein said agent is a fiber care and/or color care agent. 
     
     
         18 . A method of cleaning soiled hard surfaces comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  to the soiled surface. 
     
     
         19 . A method of cleaning soiled hard surfaces comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 9  to the soiled surface. 
     
     
         20 . A method of cleaning soiled hard surfaces comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 14  to the soiled surface. 
     
     
         21 . A method of cleaning textile fabrics comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1  to said textile fabric. 
     
     
         22 . A method of cleaning textile fabrics comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 9  to said textile fabric. 
     
     
         23 . A method of cleaning textile fabrics comprising the step of applying the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 14  to said textile fabric. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said soil is selected from the group consisting of tea, coffee, blood, soot, egg, milk, butter, ink, makeup, lipstick, chocolate, chocolate dessert, olive oil, black currant, blueberry, apple juice, red wine, beetroot, curry, and peanut oil, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . A method for bleaching wood pulp or raw cotton comprising the step of treating said wood pulp or raw cotton with the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         26 . A method for bleaching wood pulp or raw cotton comprising the step of treating said wood pulp or raw cotton with the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         27 . A method for bleaching wood pulp or raw cotton comprising the step of treating said wood pulp or raw cotton with the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said oligopeptide-metal complex is produced in situ. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said oligopeptide-metal complex is produced in situ. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said oligopeptide-metal complex is produced in situ. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein said washing or cleaning agent comprises separate oligopeptide-containing and metal ion-containing phases. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein said washing or cleaning agent comprises separate oligopeptide-containing and metal ion-containing phases. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein said washing or cleaning agent comprises separate oligopeptide-containing and metal ion-containing phases. 
     
     
         34 . A method for killing microbes comprising the step of contacting said microbes with the washing or cleaning agent of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         35 . An oligopeptide-metal complex comprising:
 (a) an oligopeptide further comprising:
 (i) at least one thiazole residue, said thiazole residue optionally partially or completely hydrogenated; 
 (ii) at least one imidazole residue, said imidazole residue optionally partially or completely hydrogenated; and 
   (b) a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Au, B, Bi, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Eu, Fe, Ga, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pt, Ru, Ti, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr, and mixtures thereof; and   wherein said metal is present in any oxidation state, and wherein said oligopeptide-metal complex is not Zn-bacitracin.   
     
     
         36 . The oligopeptide-metal complex of  claim 35  wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of Co(II), Co(III), Mn(II), Mn(III), Ce(III), Ce(IV), and Bi(III), and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The oligopeptide-metal complex of  claim 35  wherein said oligopeptide is bacitracin, and said metal is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Au, B, Bi, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Eu, Fe, Ga, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pt, Ru, Ti, U, V, W, and Zr, and mixtures thereof, and where said metal is present in any oxidation state. 
     
     
         38 . The oligopeptide-metal complex of  claim 35  wherein said oligopeptide is a bacitracin derivative, said derivative obtainable from bacitracin by substitution of up to five amino acids, or by addition of up to five amino acids in the N-terminal region of bacitracin.